Bottle crate



y 9 T H. v. BOWMAN 2,003,135

BOTTLE CRATE Filed Oct. 26, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR H: RY V. BOWMAN BY P C M ATTORNEYfi H. v. BOWMAN May 28, 1935.

BOTTLE CRATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1934 v INVENTOR \HENRYFK- Bow-MAN ATTORNEYS:

Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES BOTTLE CRATE Henry V. Bowman, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Bowman Products, Incorporated, St. Paul,

Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application October 26, 1934, Serial No. 750,191

8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bottle crates and more particularly to the means provided therein for spacing apart the bottles.

An object of the invention is to provide a crate having means therein for resiliently supporting the bottles and whereby they are restrained from relatively moving therein.

A further object is to provide a bottle crate comprising a plurality of upright bottle spacing elements, each provided with a plurality of outwardly extending fingers adapted to engage the peripheries of the bottles to thereby retain them in spaced relation.

Other objects of the invention reside in the specific construction of the bottle spacing means, which comprises a plurality of upright posts, each having a plurality of outwardly extending flexible fingers adapted to yieldably engage the peripheries of the bottles; and in the construction of a simple and inexpensive bottle spacing means for crates, which may readily be embodied in the construction of a crate at a very small additional cost.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention islnot confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims Y which follow.

In the drawings;

Figure 1' is a plan view substantially on the line i! of Figure 2, showing the flexible fingers of the bottle spacing means;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional View on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing how the bottle spacing means are arranged in the crate;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing how the flexible fingers of the bottle spacing element engage the peripheries of adjacent bottles;

Figure 4 is a plan View of a crate showing a bottle spacing means of different form;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view substantially on the line 55 of Figure 4, showing how the bottle spacing elements may be secured to the cross rails or members of the crate; and

Figure 6 is a View showing one of the bottle spacing elements removed from the crate.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there is illustrated in Figure 1, a crate-similar to the one shown in my copending application, Serial Number 750,190, filed October 26, 1934, which comprises end walls 22 and side walls 33, suitably secured together at the corners of the crate by suitable corner irons 4 and rivets 5. The bottom or the crate comprises a plurality of cross members 6 and 1, the members 6 having their ends suitably secured to the side walls of the crate, and the members I being embodied in the construction of the lower portions of the end walls 2 of the crate, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The rails 6 and l are provided with recesses 8 adapted to receive the lower ends or bottoms of the bottles, as clearly illustrated by the dotted-lines. 9 in Figure 2. a

An important feature of this invention resides in the means provided for spacing apart the bottles in the crate. Such means is shown comprising a plurality of tubular elements H, having their lower ends supported upon the cross rails 6 and secured thereto by suitable plugs l2 and bolts orriv'ets t3, the latter passing through the plugs l2 and suitable apertures provided in the rails 6, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

Each tubular member or post it has an enlarged head I4 at its upper end which is provided with outwardly extending spaced fingers I5, adapted to engage the peripheries of the bottles when the latter are inserted into the crate. The fingers K5 are '50 arranged in. the crate, that when the bottles are inserted therein, said fingers will engage the peripheries of the bottles, as indicated at Hi in Figure 3, whereby said fingers will slightly flex and will thereby firmly hold the bottles in'position within the crate.

If desired, auxiliary fingers I! may be provided upon the posts H adjacent their lower ends, adapted to engage lower portions of the bottles and thereby cooperate with the fingers l5 to support the bottles in the crate.

In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bottles are resiliently supported in the crate in a horizontal direction, and in such a manner that they cannot contact with one another. When thus supported, the bottles are not likely to vibrate or rattle in the crate and thereby render the crate noisy. Ordinary crates are often very noisy, primarily because the bottles are loosely supported therein, and further because of the grids thereof usually being constructed of metal. This is considered an objectionable feature of ordinary crates now in general use.

In the present invention, this objectionable feature has been entirely eliminated, as the bottles are so supported in the crate by the fingers l5 and II, that they cannot readily move therein, and further because the spacing means for the bottles is constructed of a suitable resilient material such, for example, as rubber.

Figures 4, 5, and 6 illustrate a construction in which the bottle spacing means consists of a plurality of upright elements or posts l8, shown supported upon metallic hangers or cross rails it having their end portions suitably secured to the side walls 3 of the crate. Rods 23 extend lengthwise through the crate, and have their intermediate portions supported by the cross members is), and their terminals in the end walls 2. The spacing elements l8 may be suitably secured to the hangers i9 by such means as rivets 22. The bottle spacing elements l8 are preferably shaped, as shown in Figure 1, whereby each has a plurality of con-' peripheries of the bottles, whereby the latter are firmly held against lateral movement or side play, so that the bottles cannot rattle in the crate, even when empty.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a crate of the class described, means in the bottom thereof for supporting the bottles, and a plurality of bottle spacing elements formed of stretchable and compressible material and flexible in substantially all directions secured to said supporting means and engaging the bottles with a yielding pressure to thereby space them apart.

2. In a crate of the class described, means in the bottom thereof for supporting the bottles, and a plurality of flexible bottle spacing elements secured to said supporting means and having outwardly projecting extensions thereon adapted to engage the bottles with a yielding pressure to thereby space them apart.

3. In a crate of the class described, means in the bottom thereof for supporting the bottles, and a plurality of upright flexible elements secured to said supporting means and having horizontally disposed flexible fingers adapted to engage the bottles to space them apart.

4. In a crate of the class described, means in the bottom thereof for supporting the bottles, and a plurality of independently mounted rubber posts secured to said supporting means and projecting upwardly into the crate and having horizontally disposed flexible means at the upper ends thereof adapted to engage the pe ripheries of the bottles with a yielding pressure to thereby space the bottles apart.

5. In a crate of the class described, means in the bottom thereof for supporting the bottles, and a plurality of independently mounted rubber posts secured to said supporting means and projecting upwardly into the crate, and each having a plurality of outwardly extending spaced flexible fingers adapted to constantly engage the peripheries of the bottles to thereby space them apart.

6. In a crate of the class described, means in the bottom thereof for supporting the bottles, and a plurality of flexible post-like members secured to said supporting means and extending upwardly into the crate, each of said members having a plurality of horizontally disposed flexible fingers arranged at different elevations and adapted to engage the peripheries of the bottles to thereby constantly exert a yielding pressure thereagainst to retain them in the crate in spaced relation.

- 7. In a crate of the class described, a plurality of cross members in the bottom thereof for supporting the bottles, resilient elements secured to said cross members in spaced relation, a tubular post secured to each resilient element and extending upwardly into the crate and each provided at its upper end with an enlarged head, said head comprising a plurality of horizontally disposed flexible fingers adapted to engage the peripheries of the bottles and exert a yielding pressure thereagainst to thereby retain the bottles in spaced relation in the crate.

8. In a crate of the class described, means in the bottom thereof for supporting the bottles, a plurality of tubular posts secured to said supporting means in spaced relation and extending upwardly into the crate, each of said posts having an enlarged head at its upper end, said heads comprising a plurality of horizontally disposed spaced, flexible fingers,-arranged in pairs, and having their terminals adapted to engage the peripheries of the bottles and exert a yielding pressure thereon to thereby retain the bottles in spaced relation in the crate.

HENRY V. BOWMAN. 

